Upon photographing a large surface, the entirety of the object to be taken cannot always fit within a field of focus. In such a case, the close and/or distant portion(s) of the object become out of focus. Photographers can expand the area of potential focus with an adapter having a tilt mechanism, typically a tilt/shift lens, that tilts the photographic lens relative to the camera body. Unfortunately, most existing tilt and shift lenses are precision instruments that employ precisely adjusted mechanical controls to focus the lens and to adjust the angle of the lens relative to the image capture plane (which may be film or a digital sensor, depending on the type of camera).
The precise control may be useful for some controlled settings in studios, but can significantly complicate photography in the field. The general perception of tilt/shift lenses is that they are cumbersome to use, slow to operate, demand tripod use, and can require manual, instead of automatic, exposure modes. Conventional tilt/shift lenses are relatively heavy, as well, further limiting their practical use. These lenses are also quite expensive, with most commercial tilt/shift lenses costing well in excess of US$1,000.
Some photographers also use bellows cameras to achieve photographic effects. For example, such cameras may be used to produce artistic effects, such as soft focus images wherein a portion of the image may be in sharp focus but a peripheral region may be out of focus. Many bellows cameras rely on heavy, cumbersome rails that protrude from the bottom of the camera to guide the lens as it moves in and out relative to the camera body. This added weight and mechanical complexity has largely limited bellows cameras to studio photography.
Digital cameras can allow more experimental and spontaneous photos because the photographer does not have to bear the time and expense associated with capturing images. The bulky nature and tedious operation of conventional tilt/shift lenses and bellows lenses can significantly slow down the process of digital photography, and thus in some circumstances, impede the spontaneity that could otherwise be achieved.